Israeli Advice to Arafat Sparks Ire

A top Palestinian official warned Monday of a “very dangerous escalation” of tension if Israel stops Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat from celebrating Christmas in Bethlehem for a second straight year.

The warning came after Raanan Gissin, an advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said Arafat should not try to attend the traditional Christmas Eve midnight Mass. But Gissin stopped short of saying Israel would bar him from the city.

In new violence Monday, Israeli troops shot and killed a 28-year-old mentally disabled Palestinian near a military checkpoint in the West Bank. The army said soldiers opened fire when the man refused to halt and started running.

And in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, a Palestinian woman was reported slain after an Israeli tank crew opened fire on a taxi. Rehaneh Hesham Kilani, 25, was killed and two other passengers were hurt, family members said. A military official said the incident was under investigation. That death came a day after Palestinian Nahla Aqel was fatally shot in the Gaza Strip while walking with three of her children.

Arafat, a Muslim, began attending the Christmas Mass in Bethlehem in 1995, after the city was turned over to Palestinian control.

Last year, Sharon’s Security Cabinet decided to ban Arafat from going to Bethlehem from his office in Ramallah. Both cities are in the West Bank.

However, Gissin said Arafat “should stay in his place, in [Ramallah], because he has caused much tragedy to the Christian population, and he didn’t do anything to advance the cause of peace.”

Asked whether Israel would stop Arafat from attending, Gissin said: “I didn’t say we would stop him. I just said that he should stay in his place.”

The Israelis say Arafat is not restricted to his office or to the West Bank, but they also have said that if he leaves the West Bank, he might not be allowed to return.

Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said Arafat had an obligation to be with his people on Christmas.

“I think this will be a very dangerous escalation not only on the security level but also as far as the political situation is concerned,” Erekat said.